Simulated wood grain riser

ABSTRACT

A conventional suspended ceiling system utilizing an inverted Tshaped grid member to support ceiling panels. In order to provide a three-dimensional effect and a simulated wood beam effect to this type of ceiling, a riser is inserted between the inverted Tshaped grid member and the ceiling panel. The riser is provided with a simulated wood grain effect, causing the grid member to appear to be a wood beam with the wood beam providing a threedimensional effect.

United States Patent 742,81] 10/1903 Wilmoth Inventor David R. Kann Lancaster. Pa. Appl. No. 806,914 Filed Mar. 13, 1969 Patented June 8, 1971 Assignee Armstrong Cork Company Lancaster, Pa.

SIMULATED WOOD GRAIN RISER 1 Claim, 3 Drawing Figs.

U.S.'Cl 52/311, 52/484 Int. Cl E04b 5/58, E04f 19/02 Field of Search 52/312, 314, 311, 484, 338, 339, 320

References Cited UNlTED STATES PATENTS 3,277,624 lO/1966 Cornell 52/484 3,325,954 6/1967 Olson 52/484 FOREIGN PATENTS 150,834 1932 Switzerland 52/388 10,439 1914 Great Britain 52/338 Primary Examiner-Henry C. Sutherland AttorneyClifford B. Price ABSTRACT: A conventional suspended ceiling system utilizing an inverted T-shaped grid member to support ceiling panels. In order to provide a three-dimensional effect and a simulated wood beam effect to this type of ceiling, a riser is in-' serted between the inverted T-shaped grid member and the ceiling panel. The riser is provided with a simulated wood grain effect, causing the grid member to appear to be a wood beam with the wood beam providing a three-dimensional effect.

PATENTED JUN 8 I9?! 6 INVENTOR DAVID R. KANN Q ATTOR NEY SIMULATED WOOD GRAIN RISER BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The invention relates to suspended ceiling assemblies of the type customarily employed to support ceiling panels, and more particularly to a suspended ceiling assembly wherein the suspension system is made to appear as if it is a wood grain beam structure.

2. Description of the Prior Art In the field of interior decorating at this time, it is stylish to provide a ceiling system with the appearance of an exposed wood beam support. The exposed wood beam support is meant to simulate Spanish or medieval architecture wherein the exposed support beams for the ceiling added a pleasing decorative effect to the ceiling structure. Because current construction practices do not lend themselves to providing an actual exposure of the support beam structure for the ceiling assembly, a simulated wood beam structure is normally fastened to the underside of the ceiling to give the same aesthetic effect.

In suspended ceiling systems, the wood grain effect or a beam effect has been secured by making the suspension system in the form of a box structure which is then decorated to simulate a wood beam, as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,310,922. Another way of simulating a wood beam effect has been by providing a cover for the T portion of the ceiling suspension system, as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,319,389. This cover for the suspension system has a simulated wood grain effect.

While the above systems do normally provide a pleasing effect, they are not readily adaptable to a system which has already been installed in a home and necessitate the use of a specially designed grid system. The advantage of the belowdescribed riser structure is that it may be attached to a previously installed structure or may be used as merely an accessory kit with a conventional ceiling structure for installation in a new structure.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Ceiling panels are normally supported on the flanges of inverted Tshaped grid members united together in a horizontal grid pattern. To convert such a system to provide simulated beams, a riser or channel member is applied to the top of the flange of the inverted T-shaped grid member so that one flange of the channel rests on the flange of the grid member, and the upper flange of the channel is utilized to support the lay-in panels. The outer surface of the channel is made to simulate a wood grain structure so that when it is viewed from below the ceiling, the inverted T-shaped members with their channel members give the appearance of a beam having wooden sides. The channels are cut with 45 miter-cut ends so that four channels may be inserted in a grid square to form the simulated wood inserts for the grid square.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. I is a top view of a ceiling system showing the ceiling suspension system and riser;

FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the ceiling system as seen from the floor with the risers and panels in position; and

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a ceiling system showing the riser structure and ceiling suspension structure.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT As seen in FIG. 1, a conventional T-shaped grid member 2 is suspended by means 4 from the structural ceiling of a building. The inverted T-shaped structure of the grid is best seen in the cross-sectional view of FIG. 3. The grid members 2 are arranged in a pattern throughout the ceiling so that they can support lay-in panels 6 which are normally 2 feetX4 feet in size. As seen in FIG. 3, left side, normally the panels 6 would rest upon the flanges 8 of the inverted T-shaped grid member.

A simulated wood grain riser is inserted between the flange 8 of the T-shaped member and the panel 6. As seen in FIG. 3, right side, the riser 9 has a flange 12 which rests upon the flange 8 of the T-shaped member 2. The opposite flange 14 supports the lay-in panel 6. The outer surface 16 of the riser is provided with a simulated wood grain effect so that the riser appears to be made of wood. Referring to FIG. 2, it will be seen that in each grid square, which is defined by four adjacent contacting grid members 2, there is inserted a grid panel 6. Four wood grain risers 9 are inserted around the grid square and provide the aesthetic appearance of a wood beam supporting the ceiling panels in position. The ends of the risers 9 have a 45 miter cut to form a corner joint 17 holding the risers in place.

It is obvious that the channel outer surface 16 could be provided with some other aesthetic effect other than wood and that the outer surfaces 18 of the inverted T-shaped grid members 2 could be provided with a simulated wood grain effect so that the riser and grid assembly would appear to be a complete wood beam structure.

What I claim is:

1. In a ceiling system comprising a plurality of inverted T- shaped grid members formed into a grid pattern and suspended from a super structure, a plurality of lay-in panels inserted into the grid structure to provide a unitary ceiling assembly, the improvement comprising: a plurality of channelshaped members mounted entirely between flange portions of the T-shaped grid members and the bottom peripheral edge portions of the lay-in panels to raise the panels above their normal resting position on the grid members, said channel members each having one flange thereof resting upon the top surface of each flange of a T-shaped member while the opposite flange of the channel member supports the ceiling panel, the outer surface of said channel member being in substantially vertical alignment with the edge of the flange portion of the T-shaped member and being provided with a decorative coating whereby the combination of the grid member and riser provides a simulated beam supporting the ceiling panels in position. 

1. In a ceiling system comprising a plurality of inverted Tshaped grid members formed into a grid pattern and suspended from a super structure, a plurality of lay-in panels inserted into the grid structure to provide a unitary ceiling assembly, the improvement comprising: a plurality of channel-shaped members mounted entirely between flange portions of the T-shaped grid members and the bottom peripheral edge portions of the lay-in panels to raise the panels above their normal resting position on the grid members, said channel members each having one flange thereof resting upon the top surface of each flange of a T-shaped member while the opposite flange of the channel member supports the ceiling panel, the outer surface of said channel member being in substantially vertical alignment with the edge of the flange portion of the T-shaped member and being provided with a decorative coating whereby the combination of the grid member and riser provides a simulated beam supporting the ceiling panels in position. 